


Purity

by booksblanketsandtea



Series: Sa’Dirthara Lavellan: One who Seeks Truth [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Humour, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 22:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9789086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksblanketsandtea/pseuds/booksblanketsandtea
Summary: “What,” came a horrified voice from behind Sa’Di, “is that?!”Sa’Di turned away from petting the slightly rotted snout of her latest mount to find Dorian and Solas staring at the bog unicorn in what could only be described as absolute horror.





	

“ _What,”_  came a horrified voice from behind Sa’Di, “is _that?!_ ”

Sa’Di turned away from petting the slightly rotted snout of her latest mount to find Dorian and Solas staring at the bog unicorn in what could only be described as absolute horror.

“He’s my new mount!” Sa’Di said happily as the two mages moved forward to join her (while still keeping a safe distance between them and the undead beast before them).

“Sa’Di that is not a mount,” Dorian said, stepping forward and clapping his friend on the shoulder. She frowned at him as he continued. “That beast isn’t even alive – it’s a monstrosity. A smelly, rotting, genuinely hideous monstrosity!”

Dorian yelped and leaped backwards as the said monstrous mount swung its head round to quickly bite at the spot where the Tevinter mage had been standing. The sharpened, yellowed teeth snapped shut with a resounding **_Crack!_**

“Fucking hell!” swore the mage as he took another step back, and Sa’Di rolled her eyes.

“You insulted him, Dorian. What did you expect? Now, you just ignore that mean old mage, Din Safal,” the elf said comfortingly to the bog unicorn, reaching up to scratch behind the beasts flicking ears.

“ _Old?!_ ” Dorian spluttered indignantly, but Sa’Di ignored him and continued cooing to the rotting horse.

“You’re not a monstrosity, you’re a proud, _mighty_ horse and I shall be honoured to ride you into battle.”

The creature made a happy, raspy nickering sound at Sa’Di’s attention, even as it glared over her shoulder at the two men standing behind her.

“Din Safal?” Solas asked, a small smirk colouring his words.

“Yes, well,” Sa’Di said with a slightly embarrassed glance back at the mage. “I never claimed to be very good at naming things. I had a Halla as a child called ‘Ma’halla’.”

“Most original,” Solas gave a small smile, teasing, and Sa’Di shrugged.

“A name is a funny thing. We don’t choose them for ourselves – they’re for those around us. Our friends, our family. Our enemies. I never thought it fair, that we don’t choose what we are called – particularly as we are the ones who must bear the name, and what it brings. So as a youngling I would watch my friends give their hallas names for speed, or the forest they were found in, or for Ghilan'nain… and I instead would call my companions only what they were and would let their name belong only to themselves. I thought, why should they bear a name they had no connection to, that _I_ had decided for them? They were happy without a name, and so no true name did I give them.”

“Precocious thing, weren’t you?” Dorian asked, his moustache twitching above his smile.

“Still is,” Solas murmured as he stared thoughtfully at the other elf, and Dorian snorted. Sa’Di shot the apostate a playful glare as she turned and leaned back against the fence of the uncovered stable – the bog unicorn immediately moved and rested his head over her shoulder, demanding more attention.

“Well at any rate he- he?” Dorian bent slightly to check and immediately grimaced as he stood up straight again, his nose wrinkled in horrified disgust. “Lovely, rotted horse cock. Yes, _he_ certainly seems to like you. I suppose that’s something, for a thing that shouldn’t be alive. If it could be called that - _alive_.”

“I wondered about that, actually,” Sa’Di said as she turned to Solas. “The mages who sent him seemed to think he has been possessed by a spirit of some kind – can you tell if they were right?”

Solas nodded slowly, his sharp blue eyes roving over the bog unicorn thoughtfully.

“Yes, I believe they are. I can sense the spirit, but it is not a horse, though it is- equine.”

Sa’Di frowned, looking up at her new friend, who was still resting his head over her shoulder. The sword embedded through its face was rusted and covered in blackened, dried blood. The dead horse lipped gently at her ear and she gave him a rough pat to the neck as she glanced back at the apostate.

To her surprise, Solas had a hand rubbing against his mouth – he appeared to be trying (and failing) to hide an amused smile.

“What?” Sa’Di asked of the usually aloof apostate, and Solas glanced quickly between the bog unicorn and the Dalish woman in front of him. His eyes swept her quickly from head to foot, considering, before snapping back up to her face. The slightest of blushes touched his ears, but his mouth still quirked with a secret amusement and his eyes were dancing with mischief. He looked like a man who knew a particularly funny joke, and was waiting to decide whether or not he would tell it.

“I believe,” Solas said after a second, “that your mount’s nickname rings true.” His sky-blue eyes met Sa’Di’s, and for a second the humour in them gentled, the apostate’s face once again thoughtful as he stared at her with new consideration.

Dorian raised his eyebrows as he frowned at the dreaded beast, his face disbelieving.

“What- you think this thing is _actually_ a unicorn?”

“I believe it houses the spirit of one, yes.” Solas said and Sa’Di frowned.

“A sword through the face does not a unicorn make, Solas.”

The apostate nodded, agreeing. “No, but it is not the sword that lays the foundation for my theory. If you would allow me?” the apostate asked as he offered his hand to Sa’Di, and she shot him a confused look as she reached out to take it.

As soon as their hands touched, the bog unicorn gave an angry hiss, its mangled ears lying flat and angry against its head. Its neck strained as it bared its gnashing teeth at Solas, once again moving to bite. The apostate dropped Sa’Di’s hand as he swiftly moved out of reach and the deceased unicorn calmed immediately, though it still glared threateningly at Solas and gave a disgruntled snort every now and then.

“And so you see,” Solas said calmly, as though a horse from the depths of Hell had not just done its best to try and rip his hand from his arm, “it is not the makeshift horn that makes me believe this beast houses a unicorn, but rather the way he treats you, Sa’Di. And any man who touches you.”

Sa’Di frowned.

“But Dorian touched me before, and Din Safal only bit at him when Dorian was rude to him!”

Solas nodded slowly, glancing at Dorian.

“True – perhaps I should amend that to any man who has the potential to be drawn to you. As I understand it, Dorian does not.”

Dorian snorted indelicately.

“You can say it, Solas – I fuck men. There’s no point trying to protect Sa’Di’s virtue from a man who is not after it.”

Dorian’s face suddenly split into a gleeful grin and he turned to Sa’Di who had started to blush.

“Wait, does this mean-”

“If you know what is good for you, Dorian Pavus, you will not finish that question!” Sa’Di scowled and Dorian cackled at the threat.

“Oh Maker, it _does_ , doesn’t it? You’ve found yourself a guard horse! Our sweet young Sa’Dirthara has yet to-”

“ _Dorian!”_ Sa’Di warned, her voice rising slightly in pitch and Dorian took a step backwards as though ready to flee, still grinning as he gestured to the training soldiers not far off.

“Shall I rally the troops, my Lady? That bloody beast of yours may well do someone a harm after all, it’s for the greater good you know. Yes, I think it best – you need to be bedded, the sooner the better, for the sake of all the poor menfolk of Haven. Perhaps Varric- or, no, Cullen!”

At this the elf snarled and launched herself at the Tevinter mage, who danced out of reach and began running around, yelling suggestions over his shoulder, each more ridiculous than the last and each spurring the young elven woman on to new heights of mortified fuelled chase. Their antics were beginning to draw attention – Dorian barely managing to shout out “Mother Giselle” through his laughter as he ran away from a rapidly gaining Sa’Di was causing a few raised eyebrows and Solas had just about decided to step in when the Tevinter mage stopped in his tracks just past the blacksmiths and whirled around, a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Or perhaps our dear apostate would like the honours?” Dorian called out, and Solas, who had been slowly tracking the two other mages and so was now standing near the smithy entrance, did his best not to frown at the other man. Any reaction would only encourage Dorian, Solas knew, but it seemed that included silence, for the younger man continued with a sly wink. “Potential to be drawn to her indeed! Solas, you dirty old elf, the demon horse is onto you!”

Solas once more did not react and instead watched with no small satisfaction as Sa’Di finally caught up to the distracted Tevinter, tackling him to the ground – Dorian’s eyes widened and he hit the ground with a rough “oof!”

Solas observed the two young mages rough house for a few moments more, pleased to see that even under the serious circumstances that had brought them together, some joy (no matter how ridiculous) could be found.

He chuckled quietly as he watched Sa’Di calling ice to her hands with a simple spell before she shoved them unceremoniously up Dorian’s shirt, the Tevinter mage swearing and yelping at the cold. A wistfulness was rising in Solas that had everything to do with their youthful exuberance and absolutely _nothing_ , he told himself, to do with Sa’Di’s golden hair and wild grin and how she was so, _so_ beauti-

The Fade walker shut the thought down before it had fully begun, refusing to acknowledge the swoop in his stomach as Sa’Di looked up at him and grinned ferociously at her victory over Dorian, their eyes meeting across the distance and locking. The moment was lost before it truly began however, when Dorian used the brief instant of distraction to shove her off of him, restarting the game of pursuit as he dashed away towards the soldier’s training grounds shouting “Cullen! You need to bed Sa’Di! Solas won’t- _Cullen! Help!_ ”

Sa’Di, flushed from embarrassment and exertion, shot Solas an almost apologetic, exasperated grimace from her spot on the ground before she jumped up, whirled around, and once more chased after Dorian. Solas stared after his friends for a second before turning and slipping quietly away – Sa’Di’s sparkling green eyes filled his mind, and he once again refused to acknowledge the swooping of his stomach.

Solas _also_ refused to acknowledge that he had made sure to leave a wide berth around the bog unicorn as he passed it – though he could still feel the judgmental glare of the beast as he walked back into Haven, the laughter of his young friends ringing through the air behind him.

Sa’Di’s triumphant face swam in his mind once more, her golden hair falling mussed about her face as she smiled up at him, and Solas breathed out slowly, running a suddenly tired hand over his down-turned mouth. This would only bring trouble, he knew it as sure as he knew himself.

And Solas _did_ know himself - he had been faced with his faults and his mistakes for too long not to know exactly who and what he was.

 

Dorian had been both correct, and so very, very wrong.

 

There _was_ a monster within Haven.  
  
It just wasn’t the bog unicorn.

 

 


End file.
